Defining the Legal Position of the Jews in Slovakia

The government of the State of Slovakia has issued yesterday a decree defining the legal position of Jews. Today, the “Jewish Codex” containing detailed anti-Jewish measures and rules which are in force as of today, was published. The governmental decree contains 270 paragraphs.

It may be said that this step performed by the Slovak government is one of the most important and basic ones, since it involves, basically, the economic and public life in Slovakia. Undoubtedly, the Jewish problem has remained, here in Slovakia, the most burning problem. Even whilst strict rules were already in force, there still remained loopholes which had to be filled in order to end, once and for all, the Jewish rule. This is achieved by this latest decree. Although we can only list the only in the essence and basics those new rules defining the Jews in Slovakia, we cannot but accentuate the fact the people of Slovakia here, since the beginning of their struggle for independence and national unity, fought against this power and reign of Jewish terror. Nobody has hit and driven into poverty the people of Slovakia more than the Jews did in a systematic manner. Therefore, the opinions, voiced by the nationalists already during the period of Czech-Slovak Republic, who protested very sharply against the pitfalls and intrigues of Jewry, were absolutely right. Hilinkas organization was aware, all the time, of the fact that the entire political, economic, social and cultural / legal rebirth and liberation may be reached only after we will get rid, entirely of the Jewish rule.

In this way Andrej Hlinka led the nation, the party, his successor, the State and nation leader Dr. Jozef Tiso, who has expressed himself, similarly and clearly, in the new situation. When the Leader calls for national unity it is only natural that he opposes anything which disturbs such unity. When he orders the punishment of those who disturb the unity, it is a clear order stressing against whom his words are directed, in the first instance. It is directed against those who embedded themselves deeply into the body of the nation and who gain the most from our national difficulties. In the first line those are the Jews. By unanimously condemning Bolshevism, the most modern Jewish weapon in their hearts, in their words and in their deeds, the Leader and all those standing by his side, subordinated to him, are helping to achieve our greatest longing: the defeat of Jewry and its rule of the civilized, God - fearing and moral world.

This is also the purpose of the “Jewish Codex” which has been published today in Bratislava, and according to which, all single organs of the Slovakian State will deal uncompromisingly and consistently with the greatest tyrants of the Slovakian nation, the Jews. And thus perform one of the best, most precious and most blessed services to the Slovakian nation and so, to satisfy all Slovaks, in the spirit of the national struggle, national consolidating and regulating endeavors, and let them find, after the Jews have gone, that everything in Slovakia belongs to them: The wealth given us by God and morals untouched by nobody and by nothing.........

Slovak, no 209, September 11, 1941.

Source: L. Rotkirchen, The Destruction of Slovak Jewry, Jerusalem 1961 p. 18

Source: Yad Vashem